Mobile Suit Gundam Crossfire: Ghosts of the One Year War
by LagunaShirogane
Summary: Its 0096 U.C. As the tensions rise between the Sleeves and the E.F., A Zeon veteran takes arms once again to protect the fragile peace during the Lapace's Box Incident.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

 _November 31, 0079 U.C. Modern Day Iraq en route to the Zeon Forces Naval Base in Indochina_

After a long drawn out war as result of the Treaty in Antarctica, the war resumed despite one third of the world's population being decimated within the first month of the war. It had been 11 months exactly to the date when Side 3 A.K.A. Principality of Zeon declared war on the Earth Federation. Zeon's Foreign Legion Forces, after having been deployed since October, were immediately called to aid in the defense of their Naval Base in Indochina as reports of a heavy Federation attack force was en route to their location.

'Shit! We just left Iraq to defend our supply base and now they immediately call for us to return to the base? Headquarters knows how to pick their timing." Corporal Nelly Siemens exclaimed as they made their way to their Naval Base after a successful defense of their vital supply base. 1st Lieutenant Zann Drakeson, leader of Zeon's Foreign Legion Forces since their joining in October of that year, looked at his Corporal as she made that comment and could sympathize with her frustrations as they've been dragged around all across the Oceania region since they began together. "Corporal, it's just orders. We do what we're told. Right now, the base needs us and we only got few days to make it before the Federation comes. You read the report." He said to her as he marched along the road in his heavy variant of the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom. It been hard on them since they recently lost 2nd Lieutenant Topp, who was Drakeson's second in command, due to an incident in the jungles south of the Naval Base. Rumor had it that it was an guerilla attack that killed her along with Arth and Dell while on their way back to the Naval Base to reunite. But reports said it was the Commander of the 8th MS Team in the Federation that destroyed her Zaku I that he lent her in order to carry out a mission in the area a few weeks ago and allowed her to take a squad with her as support. Drakeson was close to Topp and it was well known that they were lovers in their short time together. "Shoulda never let that idiot Arth go with her." He said in his mind as the report also stated that he was cause of Lieutenant Topp and her squad's death. The report of Topp's death had just came in right after their recent mission. Drakeson's other squadmate, Private Second Class Gwen Atiyah and her heavy variant of the MS-06S Zaku II or Zaku II Type S, followed behind them without much. Gwen was mouse of a girl and when she was recruited to join the Zeon's Foreign Legion, Drakeson wasn't sure if she would make it very long. They lost Private Gale Turner while was he was piloting a MS-07B Gouf, that was originally intended for Drakeson as he had ordered one prior but was given a custom variant as gift for his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, while trying to capture the Naval Base last month. The boy didn't even make it out of the water despite all their units being modified for marine combat since they were attacking from the seaside of the base. The attack was a success but not without casualties. War has always been a cruel mistress. Not about glamour or glory as some would have you think. Drakeson knew that boy wasn't a soldier. Some came to calling Drakeson a newtype due to his abilities to win battles from the jaws of defeat in the Oceania region. Now they were the only three left in the Foreign Legion Forces as they made their way to the Naval Base. Lieutenant Zann Drakeson was an American born from the American state of Florida but raised in Georgia as his family traveled around since they didn't have a whole lot of money in the years before the war broke out. Only 18 in age but clearly Drakeson was gifted and smart for his age. Drakeson was allowed to join the Zeon military due to having just turned 18 on the 4th of July. Funny to have his day of birth fall on the Independence Day of the former United States. He joined Zeon because he wanted to free the U.S. from Federation control and restore the U.S.A. to it's rightful independence as the U.S. joined the Federation under the pretenses of that the E.F. was to help the all on the planet but felt that the E.F. had failed in helping the U.S. in any aspect and had ceased allowing the U.S. to have independent powers of it's own due to fear of the U.S. being overly controlling in the past. Zeon has promised the U.S. it's restoration of it's independence once the war was won. Drakeson wore a U.S. flag on his Zeon uniform on the right hand shoulder, was 5'4 and 120lbs, had short brown hair, brown eyes, pale-like skin type, and with a partial style stubble on his face. Often wore contacts but could be seen wearing glasses when not in the field.

 _December 3, 0079 U.C. Zeon Naval Base in Indochina at 10 A.M._

It had been roughly 8 hours since they arrived from Iraq with little time to rest from their last mission. Naturally, Drakeson allowed his squad's mobile suits to go on autopilot to let them get some sort of sleep before the big battle on the way to the base. They had arrived at the base late last night around 10 o'clock regional time. The Federation was believed to arrive tonight given the scout reports but have lost contact with the scouting unit in the last 12 hours and was assumed to have been destroyed by the incoming Federation Forces.

"Lieutenant! Wake up, you fucking moron! We're under attack! Federation troops have been spotted!" The base commander yelled as he entered the bunk house before throwing a bucket of water on Drakeson. "What?! God damn it, Commander! Grrr…." Drakeson hated being soaked with water when trying to wake up but ignored it and just growled as he sprang up immediately out of bed. Siemans and Atiyah woke up almost immediately running to their mobile suits all the while throwing a pilot suit on over their underwear as they had no time to get any real clothes on. Drakeson was naturally in his white tank top and military pants as he threw on his boots and ran down the corridor to his Gouf without bothering with a pilot suit despite it being "must" by all mobile suit pilots. "Ah fuck! I thought the Fedies weren't gonna be here until tonight!? Son of bitch! Shoulda known!" Drakeson ranted as he strapped himself into the cockpit of his Gouf. Zann's cockpit had a picture of all six squad mates and himself just before the siege to retake the Naval Base last month. Topp, Gwen, Gale, Nelly, Arth, Dell, and himself. Upon activating his Gouf, he seen both Corporal Siemans's heavy MS-06K Zaku Cannon and Private Atiyah's Zaku IIS walking past him as he began walking from the barracks. "Let's go! Let's go! They'll be here any minute!" The solder below yelled out as he waved his lit-up orange batons to signal them to move as the sirens went off all around the base. The Magella attack tanks moved to the perimeter all around the base along the trench line on the east and north sides of the base away from the sea. "You guys are the only mobile suit force we can deploy! Defend this point to the death! May Godspeed." The base commander said to the Foreign Legion Forces as they prepared for combat. Gwen sighed as this was typical of the base commander to not have no other defense than this, but since the Battle of Odessa, their forces have been stretched thin. "You know, Zann, I can't blame the commander for such a crummy defense but jeez. So much pressure." Zann smirked while drinking a sip of water from his canteen that was in his cockpit from the other day when they were in Iraq. 'Well we'll just have to give them hell. And show them what the Legion is all about!" Just as Zann finished his sentence, three camouflaged Gundam Ground Types show up from the east of their position firing a wave of bullets at them. "Gwen! Nelly! Take defense positions with the tanks! I'll charge in and take them head on. Just cover my ass!" Drakeson commanded as he charged ahead with his heat sword in hand and before they knew it, two Gundam Ground type heads flew off with the slash of his sword and exploded utterly destroying the two gundams as the two were side-by-side. "AHHHHHHH It can't be!" One of the gundam pilots exclaimed as their mobile suit exploded. The other Gundam(G) stepped back hesitatingly in fear of what just happened without saying a word before being sniped by a cannon shot from Nelly's Zaku Cannon's 180mm cannon, hitting the back thrusters and totally disabling it. "Nice shot, Nelly!" Gwen praised. "That one was easy. He musta shit himself when the Lieutenant killed those two so quickly." Nelly said all the while laughing as she was feeling pumped up to take on the next one. "Ehhhh please spare me the details." Gwen said as Nelly was always a graphical in that way, but then again Nelly did have a tomboyish persona. "Enough chit-chatter, Ladies! We got incoming from the seaside." A tank driver said over the radio to them as several Federation jet fighters flew in from southeastern side toward the base. Drakeson's Gouf charged back to the base as Nelly's Zaku Cannon took a spot near the beachhead while Gwen's Zaku IIS took to the far end near the mountainside to intercept three fighters that flew past her and shot one down on the way to her position with her MMP-80 MG. All three of the Legion members used their MMP-80s as it was the best gun they had to use and with the most ammo to boot. Just as the jets did a u-turn to make another round past Gwen, they managed to shoot a few of the magella tanks taking them out immediately. "I'm done for!" A tank driver said as the tank exploded while the other two didn't even get a chance to say anything before losing their lives. "Zann, we just lost some tanks!" Gwen blurted out as shot at the jetfighters shooting two of them down avenging their fallen soldiers. Meanwhile with Drakeson's help after he got back to the base, Nelly managed to shoot down another three fighters that were circling around the seaside of the base as the fighters fired missiles at the mobile suits with no avail on doing any damage to them. Within moments, the fighters were all destroyed. The pilots panted to catch their breath for a second. "Is everyone alright?" Drakeson asked as he stood in between his two squad mates having served as a sort of centerman of the three during that wave. "Yeah we're alright, Lieutenant. Is that it?" Nelly said while scanning the area with their radar with Gwen to be sure that was all of them. Zann poured what was left in his canteen over his head, as he was sweating inside his Gouf, taking deep breaths. Before they knew it, they were beset by another wave of GMs carrying multi-rocket launchers from the north side of the area coming down the mountainside. A group of rockets flew and hit Gwen's Zaku IIS blowing off both the arms and heavily damaging the legs and one rocket hitting her cockpit directly. "AHHHHHH!" Atiyah screamed as her mobile suit crashed to the ground on it's backside. "GWEN!" Drakeson exclaimed as he ignited his heat sword charging headlong at them using his shield to protect him from the rocket shots from the three GMs. The last shot from the third GM blew off his shield, but Drakeson threw it off before it exploded and impaled his sword in one of the GM's rocket launcher before quickly moving on the other GM next to him as the rocket launcher exploded before the GM could get rid of it causing it's arm to disintegrate and disabling it entirely. Nelly shot heavy shots at the GMs with her MMP-80. A stray rocket flew at Nelly destroying her machinegun in the process. "Fuck! Damn it. My gun's gone." Nelly exclaimed as she loaded her 180mm Cannon as it was the only weapon she had besides her Heat Hawk as she pulled it preparing to join Zann in melee combat if need be. Nelly fired cannon shots to support Drakeson. "Return fire! Return fire!" The GM pilot screamed out before his GM was cut in half by Drakeson's heat sword which finished all the GMs. Within moments before they had a chance to recover, another wave of Gundam Ground Types emerged from the east side where the first wave came from carrying beam rifles. Before Nelly could react, a barrage of beam shots decimated the remaining tanks guarding the base and disabled her Zaku Cannon by hitting it's head, arm holding her Heat Hawk causing it to fall to the ground and then it collapsed to the ground due to it's legs giving out after they were shot. "DAMN IT I'm down, Lieutenant!" Siemans yelled out as Drakeson fired his MMP-80 at the Gundam(G)s as he charged at them as they fired their beam rifles at him as he was the only one left on the battlefield. "You've done your part, if you're alright and able to move, get to Gwen and see if she's okay." Zann said to her as he charged at the Gundams. "God damn Zeek! Shoot that Gouf down! Shoot i…." The Gundam(G) pilot could finish his sentence, he was sliced in half at the waist by Drakeson's heat sword and exploded. Drakeson then moved to the next Gundam(G) next to him and beheaded it before finishing it off by impaling it in the cockpit of the Gundam(G) as the pilot screamed in agony before exploding. The last Gundam(G) shot a beam shot at his Gouf's head taking out his visual but, due to the heat of the battle, Zann didn't care as he charged tackled it to the ground before aiming his MMP-80 at the Gundam(G) not sure or caring where it hits since he couldn't see and fired tons of bullets utterly decimating the mobile suit entirely with not chance of the pilot surviving. "You can cease all defense operations. There are no more Federation forces left. We've won!" The base commander said excitedly over the radio. Drakeson panted heavily as he managed to get his Gouf off the downed Gundam(G) and opened the cockpit so he can see in front of him as he headed toward the base. In a few minutes upon arriving at the base itself, Zann stopped his Gouf in front of Gwen's downed Zaku IIS and came down to the ground to see her and ran to her as the paramedics put her on a stretcher with Nelly at her side. "Is she okay?!" He asked in a worrisome tone. Nelly stopped and let the paramedics take her to the hospital and nodded her head in a "yes" motion before speaking. "She'll be alright, Lieutenant. She suffered critical injuries. A concussion, broken leg, and some bruising all over. It coulda been worse but thanks to the armor of this Zaku, she only suffered the injuries she got." Zann sighed in relief as he only suffered little no injuries. "What about you? You took a nasty hit too from those beam rifles." He asked her in concern." She shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "It'll take a lot more than a few pot shots from those weak Fedies to kill me even if my suit is based off a standard Zaku II. Me and this thing have been through a lot since we started, Lieutenant." Her enthusiasm never surprises him. Nerves of steel and the attitude to go with it. "Well lets go get some rest and help out with the base. Dismissed." Zann said to her with a salute before parting from her. "Yes sir!" Siemans said before returning the salute to her CO.

 _17 Years Later, March 21, 0096 U.C. At the Drakeson Residence in Tampa, Florida, US_

"As tensions mount between the Earth Federation and the faction known as "The Sleeves", many worry if this will turn into another conflict. Any comment Mr. President?" The reporter said over the TV in Zann's house as he sat there watching the news. "According to the Federation government, the man called Full Frontal and his so called "Sleeves" are no more than a terrorist group bent on the destroying the peace we have strived to maintain since the beginning of the One Year War. Many conflicts have arisen and passed and this will be like any other. I have nothing more to say on the matter." He said to the woman reporter as he walked away as she pursued him along other slew of reporters trying to get his comment yelling out "Mr. President" repeatedly. Zann turned off the television and sighed as his two twin children Amy and Aaron ran in the house after a day of shopping with their mother Gwen and tacked their father. "Daddy! Look what I got!" Amy exclaimed carrying a new doll she just got from the toy store showing him. Amy and Aaron were about 6 years old and full of energy. Amy had Zann's dark hair but Aaron inherited his mother's green eyes. Both Gwen and Zann had dark brown hair. Amy was very smart and mousy like her mother but wore glasses like her father. Aaron was all into sports and loved to play baseball for the local youth team and bought a bat since his wooden bat got broken by a bully that was picking on him at school. "How were they, Hun?" Zann asked his wife after seeing his kids as they ran off to their rooms to go play. "They were good. I talked to Aaron's teacher about the school bully and they're gonna do something about it as their Principal said. Zann scuffed it off. "Hmph! I still say Aaron needs to punch the boy in the nose and be done with it. That kid picking on him is a brat. I remember being picked on in school myself. Smacked him in the head with a lunch tray and that was the end of it. Laid his ass out cold. Never bothered me again." He said reminiscing his teenage years before he joined the military. "Hahaha! Well can't exactly be doing that, you know? These are elementary school kids. Not high schoolers." Gwen said to him in reply before sitting down next to her husband.

After the war's end in December 0079, The Zeon Foreign Legion were disbanded and discharged due to Zeon's defeat at the hands of the Earth Federation Forces. Gwen didn't recover enough after the battle at the Naval Base to fight in the final battle at the Mining Base in Saudi Arabia. Zann retired from the military as a Major in the Zeon Forces and with a new mobile suit to replace his old Gouf when military campaigns began in the Arabian Peninsula. He was given a MS-14A Gelgoog as reward for his miraculous defense at the Naval Base and the new MS was key to the Mining Base's defenses. Nelly ended up piloting Drakeson's old Gouf Custom since her Zaku Cannon was taken out at the Navy Base. Some months following the war's end, Zann married Gwen as they grew close after the battle that ended her career with Zeon. Nelly Siemans stayed on with the military instead of taking a discharge and eventually became one of Commander Quattro's trusted commanders for the AEUG's ground forces during the Gryps Conflict. After the Gryps Conflict, nothing has been heard from her since. Some believe she was killed during the final battle between Neo Zeon, The Titans, and AEUG when the Colony Laser was fired as her space modified Gouf MK-III was nowhere to be found nor was her body. In the recent years since the end of the Neo Zeon War with Haman Karn, the U.S. was finally granted the powers it was promised when the Earth Federation was formed and the first President in decades was elected in U.C. 0089.

Gwen looked at him with her eyes looking down like she's trying to remember. "Zann, do you remember when you came to see me after they patched me up from my last battle?" Zann looked at her with a smile. "Yep. You were high as a kite on morphine due to the extent of your injuries and, outta no where, you sat up and kissed me before giggling your ass off saying you always had your eyes on me before you passed out as you were still tired from them giving you some medication help u sleep." Gwen laughed softly to herself on it. "You've told me that before but sometimes my memory of that day has been fuzzy from that concussion I suffered. I was only a 17 year old girl. Just turned 18 that following February. They only let me in the military because of need to have more soldiers on the frontlines." She said right after she laughed. "Well the Zeon Brass were in a bit of pinch towards the end of the war since the White Devil was decimating many of their more veteran troops by the time the Legion was formed." Zann said to her before getting up and kissed her lips before going to backyard to start the grill. "I'm gonna be cooking some hotdogs on the grill." He yelled from the back patio before she yelled back saying "Okay" as she sat there contemplating all this since fear of another conflict is on the rise and it made her worry as it began to feel like that war will never cease as its been one conflict after another since the end of the great war.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

 _October 1, 0079 U.C. Zeon's Fort Dobbins Air Force Base, Macon, Georgia, U.S._

After 9 months of war, the Principality of Zeon transported many ground forces to their new North American bases that were recently taken over from the Federation when they took control of the U.S. Fort Dobbins in Macon, Georgia was no exception. Several young mobile suit pilots were recruited among the American populous that sympathized with Zeon in wanting independence from the Earth Federation's tyranny. One young pilot was recruited since Zeon's occupation that would change the fortune of one of Zeon's future campaigns.

"Corporal Drakeson! Get your ass in here, Soldier!" The Brigadier General demanded as he seen him walked by his office on his way to the hanger bay where his MS-06 Zaku II is at as he heard the call over the radio for all soldiers to prepare to leave for Cape Canaveral in Orlando, Florida to take off into Space. Drakeson walked into the General's office. Having known the General barely and fearful of possibly being in trouble since he was the one who soaked the Drill Sergeant's dry clothes as a prank while he was in the shower. "Oh damn! Someone fuckin snitched…" He thought to himself as he presented himself the General and saluted to him. The General stood up, returned the salute, and walked around behind Drakeson and closed the door as the noise from the other soldiers were running right outside the door to the hanger before speaking. "At ease, Drakeson." Zann sat down in the chair behind him without another word said. The General seemed to be a man in his mid 40s with some gray hair with some natural black hair but from the looks of it, he tries to dye it to keep it covered but due to the war, its probably been impossible for him. Given by his accent, he sounds to be of Mexican American origin from possibly Texas or even Mexico itself. The Brigadier General has been commander of the base since it's occupation earlier this year. Mainly by recommendation from the Red Comet Char Aznable himself. He looked over at Drakeson and smiled and took a deep cough as he was apparently recovering from a bad cold. "Corporal, you're being reassigned and with that reassignment, I am promoting you to the rank of Sergeant. You're being assigned to Zeon's Foreign Legion Forces and you being shipped off the Oceania region where you will be in command of your own squad. Effective immediately. I don't personally think you're up for the task but I like you. Especially what you did to the Drill Sergeant! BAHAHAHA! Haven't laughed so hard in years." Zann looked at him with shock and surprise by both the promotion and the General's reaction to the prank he pulled last night. He then shook off his surprise and smirked like there was no sense in hiding his guilt as if he had pride in it. "Well that guy was a dick. He had it coming since he was training me." Zann commented as he shrugged his shoulders. "No doubt but Zeon needs people like you in its ranks. Not ass kissers like the Drill Sergeant. No doubt he's a good soldier but to command his own platoon, that's a different matter all in itself. I'm sure you'll do great. A transport is waiting for you at Hanger B and your Zaku II is being loaded up as we speak. You're dismissed." The General said as he stood up return the salute after Drakeson saluted and left his office.

October 3, 0079 U.C. Jungles of Indochina at around 8 A.M.

"Sergeant Drakeson, we got a situation in the jungles around the base. We had reports of a small Federation force in the area closing in on our supply base. I know you just arrived but you're the only one in the vicinity so we're dropping you in. If you haven't noticed, there are three other bases just across the river. Two of them being along banks and one of them being our supply base. It must not fall into enemy hands if we are to have a foothold in this region for our campaign on the Weapons Development Base to the south in Australia. Lay waste to the enemy!" The Zeon Forces Commander in the region said before ending his transmission with Drakeson. Zann was already strapped into his Zaku II and ready to deploy as he was informed an hour prior of the drop. "Haven't even been here five minutes and I'm already being sent out to the frontlines." Zann said to himself as he took a deep breath. The morning sun was peaking over the horizon outside the transport windows as they flew over the region. Within moments, the back hatch opened up and the Zaku II slid out of the transport and almost immediately, Drakeson pulled his mobile suit's parachute and landed in front the main base and began his mission. He looked both directions to get his bearings and began walking and then jumped over the small river in front of him using his thrusters, after a few steps, as he walked down the forest pathway on high alert. "Where could they be? Command said there was some Fedies here." Before long as he looked to his right hand side, a group of 3 tanks coming out of the forest next to him moved towards the Supply Base on far end of the area along another river. The area was divided up into three sections by two rivers that flow parallel to each other. The main base sat on the south end of the area along the shoreline; the supply base was directly east of the main base and say in between the two rivers in the open. Another base was on the north bank side of the river away from the main base. It was flanked by a mountain range on the other side of the river that the base is sitting along. Lastly, the base furthest from the main base sat on top of a hilltop covered by forestry as the area north of the rivers was full of grassy hills and mountains. A small defense force consisting of two to three Magella attack tanks guarded each base. Zann aimed his 120mm MG at the tanks to stop them from over taking the supply base and fired hitting a tank destroying it but then was charged upon a GM holding up a beam sword and slashed at him. Zann, with little time to react, used his Zaku II's shoulder shield to block the attack. The shield took the hit but it was cut in half as it fell to the ground leaving only his shoulder covered. "Damn it! He got me good on that one!" Zann took a step backwards and seen he was being shot at by another GM firing bullets at him. Quickly put away his rifle and his pulled out his Heat Hawk all the while holding the GM's arm to keep him from slashing him again with his hand. "Now lets see how you like this!" Drakeson yelled out as he drove the Heat Hawk horizontally at the GM's waist slowly slicing it in half as the pilot screamed in terror before exploding. "I got one! Now where's the other one at?" Zann exclaimed while searching. The Federation's tanks were quickly decimated by the defense at the supply base. "You in the Zaku! He's over here! We can't defend this place on our own!" A Magella Tank driver blurted out to him to get his attention, as it was apparently that Zann had lost track of him. "Damn it. My first mission out in the field and I lose track of the enemy. Real fucking bright, Zann." He said to himself as he charged over seeing the GM making his way to the supply base while shooting his rifle at the tanks but missing due to poor aim. Zann quickly deducted that these GM pilots were rookies without a lick of military experience and just walking around thinking they're big shots now since they're pilots. Zann shoulder tackled the GM to the river before driving his Heat Hawk into the GM's cockpit totally disabling it. Before he could catch his breath. The base up on the hill across the yells out that two more GMs are coming down the hill towards the supply base completely ignoring their base. Apparently the adjective is to capture the supply base. Drakeson quickly put away his heat hawk and took out his 120mm MG and began firing at the GMs along side the defending Magella tanks as they fired back at them as well with their own rifles. Within a few minutes, the two GMs were destroyed, as their machines couldn't take any more firepower from the barrage of bullets coming from the defense. Zann sighed wondering if that was the last of them. Zann took a sip of water from his canteen while trying to take a breather but out of the corner of his eye, his attention was drawn towards running GM coming down the hill out of the perimeter of the northeastern base and the southwestern base charging in what looks to be to the main base as it jumped over the river and towards the path. "Oh shit! If he gets there, then it's all over!" Zann dashed quickly with his Zaku using all the thrusters he can use to intercept the GM before it reaches the main camp. "Oh no you fucking don't! Not if I have anything to say about it!" Within a moment, Zann jumped on top of the GM's backside bringing it down to the ground at the front entrance of the main base and began firing his machinegun into the backside of the GM until it stopped moving. As Zann was panting deeply and threw water on himself as the temperature had risen quite a bit since it is the jungle. His Zaku II got off the downed GM as Base Commander Jon Reeves came out approaching his MS. "God damn, Son, you know how to wrestle with the enemy! Nice job, Sergeant." Reeves said to him congratulating him on a job well done. Followed behind him were two other soldiers. One was a tall dirty blond semi-long haired guy and another was a mousy dark haired girl with green eyes all dressed in the typical Zeon military uniform. Both looked to be new recruits judging by their appearance. Drakeson saluted his Commander upon exiting his Zaku. "I'm Major Jon Reeves. I'm the commander overseeing Zeon's campaign to take the Oceania region, but the boys call me "Axel." Zann didn't say much or move as he kept his salute in place out of respect. "At ease, Soldier." Zann did as commanded and removed his salute before the commander continued to speak. "So you're the new commander of the Foreign Legion Forces sent to aid us in our campaign. I've heard a lot about you from Fort Dobbins in the U.S.. I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with your performance after how you handled yourself on your first mission here. Oh! And these two are your newest squad mates." Reeves finished speaking before the male soldier stepped forward saluting Drakeson before speaking. "Private Second Class Gale Turner! Newly assigned here from the California base in Los Angeles, Sir! I will not fail you!" Gale said trying to impress him with introductions." Zann nodded his head and turned his head to the girl next to him who seemed to be a nervous wreck. "I…ummmm…my name is Private Second Class Gwen Atiyah. I came from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Sir. This is my first real assignment after joining." She said nervously looking down at the ground. Drakeson looked upon her. "Chin up, Private. This is my first real assignment too. Don't be nervous around me. Just follow my orders and don't do any heroics in our missions. Doing stupid things like that will get you killed!" Zann said to his new squad mates as he looked upon them before saluting them. "Dismissed!" They saluted back to him and left his side back towards the barracks of the base. Reeves smiled and patted the man on the back. "Not bad, kid. I'm sure you'll make a fine a leader for these youngins. They're young but it's the best Zeon can provide us since you heard about the Federation's Project V and their mass-production of their own mobile suits. This war is about to take an ugly turn for us if we don't do something." Zann nodded his head in acknowledgement and agreement. "Your squad has their own mobile suits so no need to make orders for some. A Zaku I and a Zaku II and already modified to combat here in the jungle. Fresh out of the Odessa Base. How generous of the Big Wigs to send you something. Most of us only get tanks. I'll let you make the assignments on who gets what." Reeves said to him as they walked into the makeshift mobile suit hanger that was made to repair and resupply the mobile suits. "The hanger isn't much, Sergeant, but once we get further along in this, I imagine we'll be sitting fancy at the Federation's WD Base!" Zann just stood there listening to him ramble on as the exhaustion on his face was apparent as he barely slept much on the transport. He took a deep breath from his tiredness. "Sir, permission to make a request." He said politely to him. Reeves looked at him with a "yes" nod on his face. "I'd like my Zaku to be heavy modified while they're doing repairs." Reeves didn't say a word and looked at his engineering team who was over at Drakeson's Zaku II making the necessary repairs from the battle. "You heard the man! Modify that Zaku for heavy combat when you're done with the repairs!" Reeves commanded his engineering team before hearing a "yes sir!" from them. "Now go get some rest. I imagine you're fucking dog tired." Zann left Reeves's side to go take a nice hot shower before getting some sleep. Given how the base was just a makeshift base camp, there wasn't much to it. The base looked like it was just built overnight given by the shape of the place and crates and materials were sort of scattered in their designated areas. "Could be worse." As Zann thought to himself as he headed over to the shower area of the barracks. He grabbed a towel, upon reaching the men's bathroom, off the shelf without paying attention much as it looked empty as most of the military personnel were either in their bunks, outside, or working in the hangers. As soon as he opened the shower curtain as the shower wasn't on, which was the only shower in the Men's area due to the size of the base, he seen Gwen screaming as she was naked and getting ready to shower. "What the fuck!? I'm so sorry!" Zann yelled out quickly closing the curtain and stood against the wall near the sink that's along the wall on the opposite side of the bathroom, as the bathroom was the size of a simple medium-sized home bathroom, looking at the wall as chest felt like it was gonna burst out of his chest as he didn't expect anyone in here. Much less a woman. Then again, she did look cute and beautiful despite looking like she belonged in a library and not on the frontlines he thought to himself all the while trying to recollect himself. "Ummmm….what are you…doing here? Do you know this is the men's bathroom?" Zann said trying to breathe as that apparently snapped himself up quickly. Gwen came out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her and covering her body up and looked at Zann like she was mortified but then took a deep breath before explaining herself. "The women's bathroom shower is always full, so I go here to take my showers since most either go to the other nearby bases to shower or wait til tonight after their shift is over. Hell, some go out to the river to bathe in private and I refuse to take a bath in the river! Been like this since I got here a couple weeks ago." Zann sighed calming down a bit. "Go ahead, Private. I'll take one later." He said to her before leaving the bathroom letting her shower in peace.

 _April 4, 0096 U.C. Drakeson Residence, Tampa, Florida_

After a good day of working around the house and getting the kids to bed, Zann went upstairs with his wife to bed himself at it was 10 P.M. at night. He stripped off his clothes and slipped on a pair of pajama pants and stayed shirtless as his wife came in out of the bathroom in nothing but a bathrobe to keep her covered up and her hair damp since she just got out of the shower a little while ago. While he was getting his pants on for bed, she got into her night gown and laid down in the bed together leaving the small lamps on as she likes to read before bed sometimes. "Finally I can get some sleep." Zann commented as he put the blanket over him. Gwen looked at her husband in concern. "I'm scared of this conflict with The Sleeves. You heard about what happened up in the colonies, right?" Zann rolled over to face her seeing the look on her face before leaning over to give her a peck on the lips. She licked her lips tasting as she always enjoyed his kisses no matter what. "Don't worry. If this is anything like the last war…." Before Zann could finish, Gwen interrupted him as she's heard this before with the incident with Haman Karn after the Gryps Conflict. "What about when Char nearly dropped Axis on the Earth? We nearly died, Zann, if it wasn't for Amuro!" Gwen said in an outburst showing her concern and emotions. Zann quickly sat up and put his arms around her rubbing her back to calm her. She looked up at her as she laid her head on his bare shoulder. "I'm just worried about the kids if this becomes something just as dangerous. Especially…especially if this Full Frontal really is Char himself…as much as I respected the man. Wouldn't be the first time that Char used another name to hide himself." Zann just sat there and listened to her concerns agreeing with her whole-heartedly. "If you're worried that if the Federation may call me back into the military, you don't have to worry about a thing. My fighting days are over. Ended the day we were discharged." He said to her in a low calm tone to her. They then tucked themselves into bed turning off the lamps to sleep. "I hope you're right…" She said in a hushed voice to herself as she dozed off to sleep.


End file.
